“Recommendation: A statement reflecting recent developments on this issue along the following lines:

“‘People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.'”

***

“You can make a case that this is a perfect example of this president as the most liberal president in history and he is systematically changing what America is about,” Brabender said. “What we are betting the ranch on is the October labor statistics, and that is a high risk. … We are playing a dangerous game by raising the stakes too high on something we have too little control of and is often in great flux, and we are bailing on talking about who we are as a country. I think that is a mistake.”…

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Obama handed Romney and the Republican Party a gift — and both will be negligent if they don’t take advantage of it.

“The president yesterday interjected an element into this election cycle that, while some may be uncomfortable dealing with on the Republican side, could very well be a deciding factor for the election if they respond to the president’s challenge to marriage,” Perkins said. “It’s no secret the Republican leadership has not wanted to be out front waving the banner.”

***

So to figure out whether gay marriage will hurt Obama in the fall, you have to figure whether gay marriage alone is likely to block any of these five paths—that is, whether Obama is likely to receive fewer votes from these specific constituencies in these specific states than Kerry received in 2004. For that to occur, Obama would have to suffer a 32-point net loss in Latino support in Nevada; a 27-point net loss in Latino support in New Mexico; a 27-point net loss in Latino support in Florida; a 9-point net loss in black support in Virginia; a 19-point net loss in black support in North Carolina; a 12-point net loss in working-class support in Iowa; and a 5-point net loss in working-class support in Ohio.

In other words, it’s unlikely. Right now, 43 percent of Latinos—a group made up largely of the kind of younger men and women who are driving population growth in key states—approve of same-sex marriage. Among independents that number is up to 52 percent. And opposition among African-Americans has fallen 20 points since 2008. It’s hard to imagine that Obama’s personal opinion about same-sex marriage—remember, he’s not pushing any kind of federal legislation—will be such a turn-off for key demographic groups in key states that their support for the president will plummet to sub-Kerry levels come November.

***

Black voters and especially black churches have long opposed gay marriage. But the 40-year-old barber and other African-Americans interviewed in politically key states say their support for Obama remains unshaken…

Mel Brown, a 65-year-old project manager in Philadelphia, says same-sex marriage “is between them and their God. The God I serve does not agree with that.”

Does Obama’s announcement change Brown’s support for the president? “Absolutely not. Because Scripture says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”…

Many black pastors have been reluctant to address same-sex marriage from the pulpit; the topic remains taboo in much of their community. Now, “with the president taking such a clear stand on the issue, and his being such a beloved figure and historic symbol for African-Americans, I think it will advance the conversation,” said the Rev. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

LaBerge resigned her post as minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) after the denomination voted last year to ordain noncelibate gay clergy. She says the Bible is clear.

“From the Old Testament and throughout the New Testament, the only sexual relationships that are affirmed in scripture are those in the context of marriage between one man and one woman,” she says…

Not so fast, says the Rev. Susan Russell, an Episcopal priest at All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif. She takes her cues from Jesus.

“Jesus never said a single word about anything even remotely connected to homosexuality,” she says.

***

This new bipartisan politics of religion is a good thing — both for religion and for politics. For several decades, the right has held a monopoly over what it means to be religious in the United States, not to mention Christian or evangelical. The result has been devastating for the image of Christianity. When the Barna Group polled Americans ages 16 to 29 on what words best describe Christianity, the top response was “anti-homosexual.” The other common associations were “judgmental,” “hypocritical” and “too involved in politics.”

It has not helped that for years, conservative politicians have explained their opposition to gay rights by simply stating, “I’m a Christian,” as if that automatically requires one to abhor the idea of same-sex marriage. Recent debates about the protection of religious freedom have assumed that the only religious motives that count are conservative ones. That’s the concept at the core of arguments about the contraception mandate, as well as a number of religious freedom bills moving through state legislatures. Enthusiasm for those efforts might well flag if religious progressives were to demand protection for their beliefs as well…

After years of pretending that the culture wars were a matter of religious views lined up against secular beliefs, politicians are recognizing what average Americans knew all along. A majority of Americans now believe that there is more than one way to get to heaven, pollsters report. Our political discussions finally reflect that there’s also more than one answer to the question: “What would Jesus do?”

***

Romney did remain consistent on one point: He said he does not intend to use President Obama’s flip-flop of same-sex marriage against him in the campaign. Obama, who opposed gay marriage when he ran for president in 2008, said this week he now supports it. Romney said, “I think the issue of marriage and gay marriage is a very tender and sensitive topic. People come out in different places on this. The president has changed course in regards to this topic. I think that’s his right to do that. I have a different view than he does. I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman, but I just don’t think that this becomes a hot political issue dividing our nation.”

“We have said since our founding in 2009, that we are committed to defeating Barack Obama. We remain committed to Obama’s defeat. However, if Governor Romney expects to be the candidate who can beat Obama in November then he needs to embrace a strategy that makes victory possible – falling into the culture war trap laid by Obama is a guaranteed electoral loser.

“It is not too late. If Governor Romney wants to unite conservatives and motivate Tea Party voters then he needs to embrace bolder positions on taxes, entitlement reform, healthcare and spending, not pander to big government theocrats.”

You enter a world with civilizations and economies that are far from equal. Harvard University historian David Landes devoted his lifelong study to understanding why some civilizations rise, and why others falter. His conclusion was this: Culture makes all the difference. Not natural resources, not geography, but what people believe and what they value. Central to America’s rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition, with its vision of the goodness and possibilities of every human life. The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and, at the foundation, the pre-eminence of family.

The power of these values, this culture, is evidenced by a recent Brookings Institution study that Senator Rick Santorum brought to my attention. For those who graduate from high school, get a job, and marry before they have their first child, the probability that they will be poor is 2%. But, if those things are absent, 76% will be poor. Culture — what you believe, what you value, how you live — matters. Now, as fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.

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“The father of the modern conservative movement, former US Senator Barry Goldwater, once said of Jerry Falwell that he needed a kick in the ass. With his speech at Falwell’s Liberty University, it is clear that Governor Romney’s message to Goldwater conservatives is: drop dead…

Le yikes!!

In other Faith-Based Gay stuff: Here’s one and a half minutes trumpeting the fact that now, ‘Ted Haggard is Completely Heterosexual‘.

Reformed Judaism has the same take on issues as PCUSA. All Jews are welcome and accepted…unless you’re a Jew who’s politically conservative-then you’re a pariah.
Here-a very liberal reformed temple is the only game in town-so I pray @ home.

“It is not too late. If Governor Romney wants to unite conservatives and motivate Tea Party voters then he needs to embrace bolder positions on taxes, entitlement reform, healthcare and spending, not pander to big government theocrats.”

Many black pastors have been reluctant to address same-sex marriage from the pulpit; the topic remains taboo in much of their community. Now, “with the president taking such a clear stand on the issue, and his being such a beloved figure and historic symbol for African-Americans, I think it will advance the conversation,” said the Rev. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

I’ve been reading so much back-and-forth about this lately, next week I’m going to phone my sister “Mrs. Hallelu” and ask whether her minister said anything about this today, or if it’s only the big jabber on Hot Air. I recall back in ’04 she went for Mr. Bush because the gay was sweeping westward toward her congregation from Ohio or something.

Let the GOP be the party of traditional marriage and family values, let the democrat party be the party of same sex “marriage” and the radical homosexual agenda – and let the chips fall where they may.

I don’t get Allahpundit and the rest of the liberaltarians who are trying to browbeat and guilt conservatives to support a fundamentally leftist agenda item. Sure, you could couch being pro-abortion in the language of conservatism, but that wouldn’t make it so – why should it work for same sex marriage?

If same sex marriage is your one and only issue, you need to take that over to the democrat party, and have them push it, stop annoying conservatives with something that we’re never ever going to support in a million years.

Now, “with the president taking such a clear stand on the issue, and his being such a beloved figure and historic symbol for African-Americans, I think it will advance the conversation,” said the Rev. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Former President George W. Bush’s pollster for his 2004 re-election, Jan van Lohuizen, has put out a memo to Republican operatives suggesting a shift in the way the GOP discusses same-sex marriage…

Head. Exploding.

I’d like to put out a memo to Jan and similar minded GOP nitwits: it’s the f@#$ing economy, you get it? Pound that through your f@#$ing thick skulls and stop being eternally distracted and diverted to the topics Obama *WANTS* you to talk about, for f@#$s sake.

Holy f@#$, are these people serious? The Titanic is sinking and they can’t decide whether to worry about arranging the deck chairs or polishing the brass first.

Not so fast, says the Rev. Susan Russell, an Episcopal priest at All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif. She takes her cues from Jesus. “Jesus never said a single word about anything even remotely connected to homosexuality,” she says.

But he did say the only acceptable ground for divorce was adultery. I’ll bet you can find a way around that one, hon, so your feminazi sisters can leave a marriage that’s “unfulfilling” and go “find themselves.”

Not so fast, says the Rev. Susan Russell, an Episcopal priest at All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif. She takes her cues from Jesus. “Jesus never said a single word about anything even remotely connected to homosexuality,” she says.

There are many fine African-Americans black American, he ain’t one of em Rev.

arnold ziffel on May 12, 2012 at 9:11 PM

Joel Pollak-of the ‘Bigs’-was born in Africa. He’s an African-American despite being white and Jewish. His lovely wife Julia is also AA. Teresa Heinz Kerry is AA as well. Most blacks are Americans who happen to be black. They’re not African.
TAKE BACK THE LANGUAGE!!

Not so fast, says the Rev. Susan Russell, an Episcopal priest at All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif. She takes her cues from Jesus. “Jesus never said a single word about anything even remotely connected to homosexuality,” she says.

The other day people quoted Jesus’ words on marriage–clearly defining it. She also omits the fact that Jesus said this in Matthew 5:

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Holy f@#$, are these people serious? The Titanic is sinking and they can’t decide whether to worry about arranging the deck chairs or polishing the brass first.

Midas on May 12, 2012 at 9:16 PM

Week after week they fall for it. When questioned, roll your eyes and say “Really? Month after month bad economic news, Obama is pulling all sorts of in your face behavior, and you want to talk about who’s Flucking who?”

Interesting, looking at the Rasmussen tracker on O’s approval, in the last 3 days we have seen the number that Strongly Approve of O drop from 27% to 21%. This clearly is a sharp negative response to O’s gay actions. But it’s a bit puzzling as the “strongly approve” group comes from the extreme left.

Other clips show Romney reiterating his support for “traditional marriage” and “the sanctity of life,” as well as describing a time when he and one of his sons on jet skis ferried to shore a family whose boat had capsized near his lake house.

^ By the way I’ve been around black people quite a bit in my life and I’ve rarely known any that refer to themselves as anything other than “black”, if the subject comes up at all.
ddrintn on May 12, 2012 at 9:35 PM

Most black Africans consider themselves black too. So?

Point is I don’t see anyone telling Italian, Polish or even Jewish Americans to stop identifying themselves via their heritage because of PC.
However here we have a bunch of mostly if not all white out or touch people thinking it is their place to determine what “black” Americans should call themselves. Pathetic.

In other words, it’s unlikely. Right now, 43 percent of Latinos—a group made up largely of the kind of younger men and women who are driving population growth in key states—approve of same-sex marriage. Among independents that number is up to 52 percent. And opposition among African-Americans has fallen 20 points since 2008. It’s hard to imagine that Obama’s personal opinion about same-sex marriage—remember, he’s not pushing any kind of federal legislation—will be such a turn-off for key demographic groups in key states that their support for the president will plummet to sub-Kerry levels come November.

Yeah.

Which states?

43% of Latinos doesn’t mean jack squat in California.

A 20% drop among blacks…but where is it concentrated.

See, this is the game.

In one paragraph, talk about the lead Barry had in swing states…

…in the next, throw out national generalities and act like the two automatically correlate.

In other words, it doesn’t matter if the number has dropped 20% among blacks when they voted for Barry in the 98 percentile.

They’ve made themselves inconsequential by voting like a union.

He’s says a “32-point net loss in Nevada”. Barry’s 12-point Nevada win is already down to 7. At this pace, Nevada will be within MoE territory by fall.

It’s all a pressure game now, built on shame & inevitability.

What they’re mortified of, is momentum, or lack thereof.

How many college age kids lose their “causes” when they hit true adulthood? Isn’t that always the argument made on Barry’s behalf?

And you’d be wrong. It’s bizarre that the Romney family would give Harvard all that money, but Harvard is Harvard. They wanted the degree prestige.

SnarkVader on May 12, 2012 at 9:50 PM

No, I’d probably be right. I don’t think you’d make it a point of snark, since evangelicals are such easier targets. Liberty asked him to speak, I assume, and I assume Romney accepted…and so I assume he’s comfortable with it. Next?

So my “evolving” 19 year old son asked me if I support gays marrying. I asked him if he supported a man marrying his dog. He got it. NO ONE is denying anyone any benefits or human rights. What we are saying is since time began civilization has always defined marriage between a one man and one woman. Once you open the pandora’s box into redefining marriage it becomes a cluster. If marriage doesn’t fit your bill then get the civil union. Just because someone doesn’t like the fact that the sun rises in the east because it makes them wake too early doesn’t give them the right to redefine the compass.

Point is I don’t see anyone telling Italian, Polish or even Jewish Americans to stop identifying themselves via their heritage because of PC.
However here we have a bunch of mostly if not all white out or touch people thinking it is their place to determine what “black” Americans should call themselves. Pathetic.

Uppereastside on May 12, 2012 at 9:52 PM

Self-appointed paternalistic guardians of those groups don’t demand I call them anything in particular, either.

“‘People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.’”

That doesn’t make sense, because there will ALWAYS be “one more group” that demands a “right” to something, and if you refuse that so-called “right,” they will call you a hate-filled bigot. The fact is, the demands will never end. As a fully “equal” and “fair” society, we will eventually have to let anyone adopt kids, no matter what lifestyles they choose, no matter how odd we find them or how detrimental to a child’s development, etc. because who are YOU to tell ME what I’m doing is wrong?

Wonder if he is familiar w/ necklessing, comfort ladies, and Battan, just off the top of my head. Oh, and Battaan, as bad as it was the Japanese treated American/Allied POWs better than their conquered Asian bros.

So it’s now your place to tell black folks what to call themselves. Typical right wing con. Always thinking they know what is best for others.

Uppereastside on May 12, 2012 at 9:29 PM

As opposed to you telling me I can’t use plastic bags, salt, or hang the 10 C’s on our school walls?

Saying that current generation blacks in America are ‘African-American’ is like saying I am a ‘German American’ .. Us trying to regain some semblance of the actual meaning of English words has nothing to do with knowing what’s best for anyone else… Pretty ridiculous, and, us usual, a totally obvious example of liberal projection.

After several weeks with “READ ONLY” capability, one can conclude this site is a joke, a distraction, lacking any tangible substance, nothing but agenda driven yogurt that supports the DNC and Obama. Attack Romney and avoid all that questions the race hustler that occupies the “We’ll turn the Whitehouse Black” crew.

This will not end well because we refuse to be HONEST due to self imposed political correctness.

Upper east side
We are Americans, nothing more nothing less, keep your beliefs , but America pays the bills. You want to be some other culture? GTFO, and see how many hand out s you original country gives…….. You sir are an idiot…………

So about 20 more shiny objects til the general. Sigh. Dogs, WOW, bullying, SSM. How much less relevant can they get?
Can’t anyone keep the focus on the economy, the deficit, the debt, jobs, energy, etc. You know, actual significant issues that matter to our county’s future?

Plus 10, ok 100. What do you want to bet tamales Sun talking heads will be all about gay marriage? Jeezus, I give if we have gay marriage can we get rid of the Obama and his beard—or is that vice versa? I forget current pop talk.

Quite honestly, whether you are gay or straight, whether you support gay marriage or are against it.. you have got to be freaking stupid to ignore all this President has done to this country since being elected to now support him all because he said the magic words “I”m for gay marriage.”

Is this for real? It’s this easy? He destroys the economy, destroys our image around the world, expands the government a thousand fold, seizes businesses, passes ObamaCare, wrecks everything he touches but none of that matters because he said something?

Are you telling me that homosexuals are so freaking shallow in their thinking that they’d give up their safety, their incomes, their freedoms, their wealth,… they’d trade it all and vote for a guy who would turn America into a 3rd world banana republic with him as it’s dictator all because Obama said “I’m for gay marriage?”

And you’ve got these RINO’s running around now in circles now, like the past 3 and a half years are now meaningless because Obama said “I’m for gay marriage.”

If it’s that freaking easy to win an election then it’s over. If people are that stupid then there’s nothing here worth saving.

People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.

1) Since when does anybody receive essential rights from governments or parties, instead of having those rights to begin with … simply because they’re human beings? Doesn’t the concept of God-given unalienable rights mean anything anymore? I refuse to accept the premise.

2) Since when are hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits withheld from homosexuals? If Gay Partner A has designated Gay Partner B as next-of-kin or has specified that Gay Partner B has power of attorney for medical decisions or financial matters, then Gay Partner’s parents/siblings/whomever can’t stand in the way. B can visit A in the hospital, handle A’s money, inherit A’s estate, or do whatever else is desired by A. As for homosexuals adopting orphans, I’m not aware of any statute anywhere that prohibits it. There are — or were— private religious organizations that gave various degrees of preference to married heterosexuals over homosexuals when placing orphans, but until recently that was understood to be part of the right of free association and the right to religious freedom of expression.

So really, unless we’re talking about forcing people to treat homosexual couples like heterosexual couples in every way and regardless of their moral or religious objections, then Jan van Lohuizen is arguing against a non-existent problem.

I don’t think that Republicans are screwing up by not paying enough attention to Obama’s Gay Marriage stance and flip-flop. What I think is happening is that Republicans have finally caught on that Obama is using the media to create distractions and dividing the people based on race, gender, sexuality, etc. Romney has wisely caught on to Obama’s campaign strategy.

The way for Republicans to use the issue of gay marriage to an advantage in this election is to shore up the base of social conservatives at the grass-roots level and not to make a big deal of it nationally. The media will burn Republicans on this issue if they don’t tread carefully.

I think the party is right to keep the economy in the national spotlight. Social issues aren’t as important right now and we’re playing it smart by not allowing ourselves to be distracted by Obama’s shiny objects.

No, I’d probably be right. I don’t think you’d make it a point of snark, since evangelicals are such easier targets. Liberty asked him to speak, I assume, and I assume Romney accepted…and so I assume he’s comfortable with it. Next?

ddrintn on May 12, 2012 at 9:54 PM

It’s not about evangelicals. You’re missing the point entirely. I don’t care who runs the university; evangelicals, scientologists, atheists, whoever. Giving a speech at ANY VENUE that believes your religion is a cult and a force of evil is just strange. I’m sure he did it for the politics but on a personal level, it must feel a little strange. It’s like giving a speech a factory that produces t-shirts that say “Mormons are Evil”.